Hawkins’ CLEAR Coaching

The CLEAR coaching model was developed by Professor Peter Hawkins in 1985. It is a 5-step framework designed to help with guiding from positions of leadership. As shown by the model to the right, CLEAR is an acronym with each letter standing for a different part of the coaching process. How these points apply to supervision is shown below.

  • C - Contract

    • The first part of supervision in which an agreement is made on the purpose and the desired outcome of the session

  • L - Listen

    • Toward the start of the session, the supervisor will listen to the supervisee and will encourage to see if they can see the positives and negatives of their own sessions with clients

  • E - Explore

    • During the main body of the session, the supervisor will ask questions in order to illicit a level of deeper analytical thinking from the supervisee

  • A - Action

    • In the latter part of the session, the supervisor and supervisee will discuss the best way to take the insight gained from the session forward and how to apply it to their practice

  • R - Review

    • At the end of the session, the supervisor and supervisee will review what the positives and the negatives are from the way that the supervisee has been practicing